Shaky
by The Dark Knight's Revenge
Summary: "Becoming an Avenger isn't quite all it's cracked up to be. One minute you're eating cornflakes and the next thing you know, you're in a conference with Nick Fury." Tandy Bowen, aka Dagger, is picked up by SHIELD as infinity war looms closer. With uncontrolled powers and PTSD, Tandy struggles to fit in with the Avengers. Thor is sympathetic, Loki even more so. War is coming.
1. Chapter 1

Becoming an Avenger isn't quite all it's cracked up to be.

One minute, you're eating cornflakes in a Manhattan diner to stave off exhaustion and shock. The next thing you know, you're in conference with Nick Fury, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and the Asgardian God of Thunder because you keep having light shoot out of you at inappropriate times.

"So, your name is Tardy-"

"Tandy." I said quietly.

"-Bowen. A.K.A. Dagger. You're from Long Island originally. Your folks have money, but they think you died in a mugging on April 1, 2012. You've been homeless since. Am I missing anything?" Nick Fury said.

"Um, no." I replied, equally as quiet as the first time. My hands were shaking, so I clamped them between my knees.

"You were fighting crime in the lower burroughs with one Tyrone Johnson until this evening, when the incident occurred."

I flinched hearing Ty's name. The images from that night- earlier that night, in fact, were playing across my mind whether I wanted them to or not. I put my elbows on the table in front of me, noticed my hands were still shaking, and covered my eyes with one hand. The shaking was threatening to engulf me.

"Miss Bowen?" Fury continued.

"Come on, give her a break. Can't you see the kid is exhausted?" Tony Stark broke in.

"T-the light has been happening for a while." I said. Fury and Stark almost missed me speaking. "Since just after the mugging."

"Tell me about that." Fury said, tapping his pen on the table. I cleared my throat.

"I don't know how long you've had eyes on us, but Ty and I had our super powers since May of 2012." I said. I reached out for the previously untouched glass of water one of the SHIELD interns had poured for me when I was brought in and drank it all in one gulp before going on.

"We were kidnapped by Simon Marshall soon after we met. He held us for over a month in one of his Manhattan labs. While we were there we were test subjects for a drug called Silverbane-"

"Marshall's project for the Maggia, a type of synthetic heroin." Fury finished. I nodded.

"That shit killed hundreds of kids on the street." Tony commented. "How did you survive?"

"I-I don't know, it gave us the powers instead." I said, clearing my throat so I could continue. "We ran away, using our powers to escape and burn Marshall's lab to the ground. He wasn't going to hurt any more innocent kids like us."

"Your power is emitting light at will. What were Tyrone's?" Fury asked.

"Almost the opposite. He sucked the light away. That's why he took the name Cloak."

"Cloak and Dagger. Creative." Captain America said. It was the first time he'd spoken up since I'd been there. Thor had also been strangely quiet. I pushed on.

"Tyrone and I needed each other. He needed periodic doses of bright light to... feed off of. And I needed to burn it off or it would become too much to control."

"I see. So your powers are more or less under your control?" Fury asked.

"Um. More or less. It's difficult when I'm stressed." I replied.

"What kind of light are we talking about?" Tony Stark asked. "Are we talking atomic blast kind of light, or just a little glowing?"

Fury tapped a few buttons on his holopad and held it up for Tony to see. The rest of the Avengers looked over. I winced as the sounds of earlier that night began playing from a video clip. Three gunshots, followed by a yell and my voice screaming. I didn't want to hear what came next. There a humming sound as a purple glow began to enfold Ty's body, and a loud pop as he disappeared.

"No!" I yelled, momentarily forgetting where I was and slamming my hands on the table. The wood cracked. A bright white glow began to appear around the corners of my vision and papers began flying around the room. Fury dropped the holopad on the table as footage of my earlier self erupting in a bright white light played. I was shaking now, unable to harness my emotions. Fury drew his gun, making my heart race. I had to stop it, had to regain control, had to-

"Easy, kid. We don't want to hurt you." Captain America said, out of his seat and advancing towards me. I tried to tell him that I couldn't help it, but my jaw was clenched so hard I couldn't speak.

"The sun is going down, sun's getting realllll low." Thor's deep voice came. The phrase was oddly calming. I squeezed my eyes shut and listened to his deep voice. _"The sun is going down."_ I pictured it, the sun slipping down over the skyline. Ty and I had seen it many times on our nightly treks through New York.

Before I knew it the hot white feeling zapped away, and I was collapsing back into my chair feeling drained. I felt sick.

"Works with the Hulk." Thor said. "Thought it was worth a try."

"Holy shit." Tony said. "I could have roasted marshmallows with the heat she gave off."

"Incapacitating in the field, I assume." The Captain agreed.

"Let's not be too hasty. She needs to go through the training regimens that all new Agents have to." Fury said, reorganizing his notes. I kept my eyes focused on the table I'd accidentally destroyed and tried not to shake. It felt like I'd rattle to pieces if I lost focus.

"I think that's enough for one night, Fury." Thor said quietly, his one eye fixed on me.

"The flashlight kid's been through the wringer, let her get some rest." Tony agreed. "We have other messes to clean up."

Something deep inside me stung at being called a "mess to clean up" but I didn't let it show on my face.

"We don't expect an answer tonight, Miss Bowen, but we will need to know if you'll join the team or not." Nick Fury asked. I blinked and looked up at him.

"Join... the Avengers?" I asked. "I'm confused. Don't you have other, better recruits to do that?"

"Thanos is going to give us the fight of the universe when we finally track him down. We need all the help we can get." Fury replied.

"You don't even know me." I said. "Don't know what I can do. I want to go home."

"We've had you under surveillance for some time, Bowen. We know who you are. We also know that you don't call Long Island home. If you want to return to the streets, fine. But we're giving you a chance here. " I leaned back in my chair and put a shaky hand to my head, overwhelmed.

"Take her downstairs, Thor. She can answer later." Fury finally said after I didn't make any more attempts to say anything. He looked down at his holopad and I realized I'd been dismissed. I pushed myself to my feet. Thor was already by the door.

* * *

Thor didn't say anything as he led me down a couple long hallways and into the elevator. As we went, we began to pass foreign-looking people in the corridors, despite the early hour of the morning.

"These are the quarters of my people, the Asgardians. Our world was destroyed in Ragnarok and we were forced to seek asylum here on Midgard. Iron Man has been hospitable." Thor said as we passed a couple of women who bowed their heads to him.

"You're the king, right?" I said as we went on.

"Indeed. Since my Father has passed from the realm of the living, I have ascended the throne."

We passed a few more people who bowed their heads, and then we ended up at a large bay window overlooking a large cargo hold. Down below, Asgardians moved between tents, passing food and water around, leading livestock from place to place. They had created a whole community in SHIELD's basement.

"They look happy." I remarked.

"Happy to be alive and out of the uncertainties of space." Thor replied. His brow creased. I meant to ask him what he meant by that, but he began walking again and I followed silently.

"This should suit you nicely." Thor said, when we'd reached a closed metal door. He gestured down the hall. "The rest of the Avengers are housed on this floor."

"Okay." Was all I managed to say. Thor pressed a couple buttons on the door panel and it whooshed open to reveal a small living space.

"The showers are to be admired." Thor said. I looked down at myself, the blood on my jeans and shoes, the ratty t-shirt that probably should be thrown away. I couldn't really remember the last time I'd taken a real shower, Ty and I had been living on the streets so long. I was still staring at myself as my eyes began to fill and spill over. Then I was crying in the hallway in front of the God of Thunder. No big deal.

To my surprise, said God of Thunder reached out and put a hand on my back as I silently shook.

"I am still unsure of Midgardian customs, but I believe this to be a comforting gesture." He said, giving me a pat that made my knees buckle.

"We all had times when we were new to this... Avengers thing. You will know the right choice to make when the time comes." Thor said.

"Thank you..." I said quietly. He nodded, then turned and left me with my silent metal room. I crossed the threshold, then looked at the door panel. There were a lot of buttons on it, I assumed the one with the picture of a door was the close button. The door swished shut behind me as I pressed it.

Slowly I began to undress, folding my clothes neatly and piling them next to the bed. I didn't want to wear them again, but I saw little choice. I went to the shower cubicle and studied the various buttons there too. I pressed a few until the water was hot enough, and began to scrub away the feeling of the was right, the showers were to be admired. But even under the hot spray I felt cold and shaky.

I missed Ty. There was an ache in my chest that was only growing as the hours between our separation piled up. He was my friend, my confidant, my partner. I'd thought there was nothing that could separate us.

After showering I sank down on my bed, unsure of what to do next. I was cold, but I didn't want to put my clothes back on. My teeth chattered with the chill in my little metal box. The next logical thing to do was to go to sleep. Try to go to sleep.

But how could I, with the events of the day running through my head? One minute I'd been staring at my best friend's bleeding body, then I was eating corn flakes at an all-night diner, then before I knew it I was in the back of a SHIELD van, the windows blacked out to prevent me from seeing where I was going. Now I was in the heart of their fortress somewhere underneath the Hudson river. My head whirled.

Somewhere in the midst of my internal monologue, my hands started shaking again. I stared at them, and as I watched, a faint white glow began to emanate from them. The glow proceeded up my arms and down my body, gently heating me as it did. When the light stayed at that level for a moment, I was able to relax.

Slowly, I crawled under the thin military-issue blanket, stretching out and staring up at the ceiling. Anxiety clawed at me, threatening to make my light burn brighter, but I focused on keeping it dim. The room glowed gently.

"The sun is going down." I said softly. I pictured the skyline of Manhattan again, Ty's arm around my shoulders. "The sun is going down." This time I heard Thor's deep and gentle voice.

"The sun is going down."

Before I knew it, I was asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The chirping of the door woke me up from the deepest sleep I'd gotten in some time. It took 3 sets of rings before I managed to roll out of bed, notice I was naked, scramble into my old clothes, and press buttons on the door panel until it swished open. A tall man in green and black robes stood there. He looked confused.

"Is my brother there?" He inquired. I blinked at him. He looked around awkwardly, then back at me. I was pulling a blank.

"This is not my brother's quarters?" He asked.

"Um."

"I can see I've made a mistake." He said, color tinging his pale cheekbones. "I'm forever mixing up all these doors. Besides, you're not my brother's type."

"Brother." A familiar voice came from down the hall. Thor strode into view, clicking the pieces into place. I flushed.

"Forgive me, Tardy. This is my brother, Loki." Thor said. "Good day." He nodded at us both.

"Loki of Asgard, at your service." His brother said, inclining his head. Then he turned to Thor. "I was searching for your quarters and found the wrong door."

"I relocated next door, I forgot to inform you." He offered his hand. "Fury requests you at training, if you will, Tardy?"

"Tandy." I said, looking down at my feet. "My name is... Tandy. Not tardy."

Loki muttered something that sounded like "Oaf", and Thor flushed bright red.

"A thousand pardons, Milady."

"My brother can be quite the buffoon, you'll find." Loki offered his hand, and my eyes darted between the two hands offered to me. I wasn't sure what to do with either of them. Loki retracted his hand, coughing lightly. Thor just stared at me. We might have stood there for an eternity if Tony Stark hadn't suddenly walked around the corner.

"Good morning, Asgard." He said mildly to the two Asgardians, clapping them both on the shoulder with one hand and balancing a pile of things in the other. He fixed his gaze on me and grimaced.

"You're covered in blood. You should change. And eat." He handed me a pile of fabric with the SHIELD logo on it and two granola bars. I retreated into my room, cheeks burning.

As I pulled what turned out to be sweats and a tee shirt on, my stomach gave me a concerned rumble at the notion of granola bars. I had no idea what time it was. The diner cornflakes seemed a long way off. As soon as I was dressed I devoured the bars in a couple bites and returned to the hallway. The three men turned and led me down another set of hallways. My stomach churned with distress and anxiety as the granola bars went down too fast.

We descended a set of stairs into a large fortified hangar that looked like a paintball field. A training area, I presumed. Fury was waiting for us with Captain Rogers at his side.

"Welcome, Bowen." Fury said, barely glancing up from his holopad. "Today we are assessing your powers so we can see where to start with your training. The Avengers are expected to stay in peak performance. Your training will be accelerated because of the short time frame of the situation. Since Natasha and the Avengers are out on assignment, the others are here to work with you. Tony and I will observe."

"Um, okay. Yeah." I had no idea what "training" entailed.

"Relax and show 'em what you're made of." Tony said before he and Fury took to the observation area nearby. I noticed it had a pretty thick barrier to prevent anything getting to them. My mouth was suddenly very dry.

"Listen, I'm not so sure about this..." I mumbled weakly as Rogers, Thor, and Loki spread out around me.

"Do you have any sort of combat training?" Thor asked.

"I-I murdered the guy who turned me into a human flashlight, and I do -did- small vigilante crime busting with my partner, but... um, no. I do not." I replied. Loki raised an eyebrow, looking at the others.

"We'll start out with some basic attacks. Steve will come at you, you defend how you think is necessary." Thor said. I nodded, and I knew my eyes must be as big as dinner plates. The others looked like they were ready to beat me to a pulp. My hands were shaking as I held them up in front of my chest.

Steve came at me a little quicker than I expected, with a right hook aimed at my face. I ducked and gave him a solid push in the solar plexus. He stumbled back a little but didn't seem very moved. My feeble counter did nothing to steel my resolve. He came at me again, this time low line. I kneed his arm up to my level, and pulled hard. Steve stumbled forwards, but righted himself quickly. I probably looked like an idiot.

Thor and Loki circled in, but didn't make any sudden movements. Anxiety began to creep in. When I'd worked with Ty, he'd been the one calling the shots, guiding my movements. My light had fed him the power he'd needed to overcome any enemy we faced. This was different, unfamiliar, I was fucking terrified-

Panic made my outstretched hands shake uncontrollably, light beginning to creep from my fingertips to my palms. My breath was coming in short gasps. I wasn't in the right place. I wasn't doing things right, I-

"Tandy? Are you all right?" Thor's voice came as he paused mid-prep. I stared at my glowing hands, trying to will them to stop, to get myself to calm down. All I could hear was a rushing in my head, my heart thumping uncontrollably.

"No!" Thor tried to stop Steve as he rushed in, tossing the Captain back behind him. Loki was too close to stop, his staff arcing towards me.

What happened next was completely out of my control.

* * *

When I came to, I was staring at the hazy ceiling of the training arena. The only thing I could hear over the static in my head was the loud wail of an alarm. I felt like I'd just been hit by a semi.

"What the FUCK just happened?" I heard Nick Fury yell, but it was like he was yelling from inside a fishbowl. My ears were ringing and I closed my eyes against my blurry surroundings. Something shook me, causing a bolt of pain to go through my entire body. I gasped in a huge lungful of air, and the blood came rushing back. I hadn't been breathing.

"There she goes." Thor said to whoever was around us. I squeezed my eyes shut again, trying to push away the noise as it came back to me with clarity. There was an alarm, Steve and Thor's voices. Fury was shouting. My whole body hurt, but something in my arm burned with a white hot lick of pain. Was I screaming? It felt like I was screaming.

"Her arm, there. Don't move it, Loki." Thor barked. I forced my eyes open, seeing Thor and Loki's soot-streaked faces above me.

"Oh god, W-What happened?" I whimpered. Everything hurt, I couldn't move.

"Shhh, the sun is going down. Sun's getting realllll low." Thor said reassuringly. "Don't move." I shut my eyes and focused on Thor's voice, and then I was blissfully drifting.

* * *

"She fucking destroyed that place, Fury. You think it's a good idea to let a loose cannon out on the field? She nearly killed Steve, I don't think the Asgardians were hurt much-"

"It could have been worse, a lot worse." Thor said.

"She just needs more training." Fury said. "She could be an asset with some training."

"How can you train someone who is obviously anxious out the wazoo?" Tony asked.

"We'll get her some meds. Get her physical health under control first, mental health second. Then we'll try again. It's a matter of hours or days-"

"-Till Thanos makes his move. Then what do we do? Put the kid in the middle of the ship and show her a picture of her dead friends so she goes off like a remote-controlled grenade? That's cruel, Fury, even from you."

"This conversation is over." Fury said. That sounded like a convenient time to let my eyes slide open.

"Hey, look who's awake." Tony said. "You look like hell, kid."

"Thanks." I rasped, blinking in the bright light of the high-tech hospital room. Thor, Tony and Fury swam into view. "May I have some water?"

Steve, who was covered in a few bandages, was closest to the pitcher. He poured a cup and tipped it to my mouth.

"You've got some powers on you, kid. But no hard feelings." He said.

"Welcome to the world, sleeping beauty." Tony said. "You'll be up and at 'em in a few hours, and the first thing we're going to do is go shopping so you can have something besides SHIELD sweats."

"What?" I rasped. "Don't I need to keep training?"

"We need to wait for the SHIELD gremlins to make the training room usable again. Then we'll try again." Tony said breezily. My stomach dropped. I'd made that much of a mess?

"Before you get all worried, don't. Everything will be right as rain and no one's mad at you." Tony said. I looked away, uncomfortable.

"We noticed you've got some trouble feeling anxious. So we're flying our resident control master in to see if he can help you train."

"Resident control...?" I trailed off, unsure of who we were talking about.

"The Hulk." Tony replied. "Bruce Banner." He's on his honeymoon in Africa, he'll be arriving soon. Till then, we've got some free time to go get you some new clothes."

"Oh. I don't have any money." I said quietly.

"Honey, do you know who you're talking to?" Tony pushed his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose and gave me a look.

"You're going to buy me clothes? But I can't pay you back-"

"I said, do you know who you're talking to. I look after my friends." Tony said. "Name any store, you get what you want."

"Oh god." I said, my vision swimming as my breathing shorted out again.

"Get the hypo. Knock her out for a few more hours." Tony said to someone behind him. I was rescued by a quick jab in the arm, and back to blissful oblivion.

* * *

It was a couple days of stop and go, but i healed quickly. I knew that my powers included some sort of regeneration, but it was a new record for me, helped along by SHIELD medical.

True to his word, after I was cleared by the doctors, we were in Tony's Bentley and off to Manhattan. Tony drove, or rather, his personal software drove. JARVIS was the highest tech I'd ever seen, I couldn't believe what it was capable of. I watched the wheel drive while Tony texted, eyes nowhere near the road.

Loki and Thor had hitched a ride into Manhattan to visit Stephen Strange. We pulled up to the inconspicuous 177A Bleecker, and the two Asgardians got out. I couldn't believe I was sitting in a car out front of where Dr. Strange lived. On the streets his magic was something of a legend. I'd only ever seen him on TV.

"Go ahead and hop up front, kid." Tony said, jolting me from my thoughts. I pulled the door handle, but nothing happened. I pulled it again, trying not to jostle the wrap on my still-sore arm.

"Um..." Thor noticed my struggle and jogged around the Bentley to assist me, opening the door and handing me out. I noticed Loki pull open the driver's side door so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I flushed at the consideration as well as the embarrassment.

"Don't let Stark talk you into anything too gaudy or impractical." Thor said with a wink before JARVIS drove us away.

"Well, my dear, where to? Saks Fifth? Macy's?" Tony asked. I froze. I hadn't shopped for clothes in years, not since my mom last took me for some event or another. She'd yammered on her phone near constantly while I picked out a couple things from Macy's, then tossed the money at the clerk and left, almost leaving me behind. That was typical mom.

"Um, something simple. Maybe Ross or Old Navy." I replied.

"Darling, a billionaire takes you shopping and you want to go to Ross?" Tony did his signature sunglasses tilt to me. I flushed.

"Um, I really want something functional... Please. I'm not good with this generosity thing." I sighed. Tony sighed and ordered JARVIS to take us to the nearest Old Navy, located somewhere across town.

"I'll send a text to Thunderhead and Captain Surly to meet us here when they're done with Dr. Strange." Tony said, continuing to text as JARVIS navigated New York traffic. I looked out at the bustling streets. It was an area of New York I'd only gone a few times. Ty and I liked to stay uptown or in the lower burroughs, exclusive neighborhoods. We knew that there were other big crime-fighters around here.

JARVIS pulled up out front of the store and we disembarked. The car drove off under its own power to find a parking space. Tony ushered me inside, looking very out of place.

I made a beeline to the junior's section, looking for a pair of functional jeans and a few sturdy long and short sleeve shirts. I didn't want to buy very much, it wasn't in my character to capitalize on generosity. I didn't even know how long I'd be at SHIELD, nothing seemed permanent.

In a few short minutes I'd amassed exactly what I thought I'd get; two pairs of jeans, two tank tops, two long sleeve shirts, pajamas. All in boring, toneless colors.

"Well." Tony said as I dumped what I'd found in the cart he was guarding. "That's monochromatic." I shrugged, scratching at my arm bandage awkwardly. Tony's intense gaze made me nervous.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"Twenty." I replied. "I know I don't look it, it's just because I don't eat." Tony quirked an eyebrow but didn't continue on that line of thought.

"The Asgardians'll be joining us, apparently Strange was unhelpful. Look around and see if there's anything else you want." Tony said.

"Is it okay if we go a couple other places?" I asked quietly. "It would be nice to get some toiletries and such." Tony didn't ask about that, just nodded. He led the way to the front, where Thor and Loki looked even more out of place than he did.

"You've found adequate dress in this antiquated navy camp?" Thor asked. I looked at him and then Tony, who snorted.

"Gotta love out of towners." He muttered. I hid a chuckle.

As we exited the building, we were suddenly mobbed by a small crowd of fans demanding autographs and pictures. Thor eased in front of me to block my face from the photos. Tony signed a couple phone cases and then shooed the rest of the crowd away as the Bentley eased up to the curb. The flash startled me all the way to the backseat.

"Well, where to next?" Tony asked. I blinked, dazed.

"Um... There's a Wal-Mart in Jersey City. I could pick up some other... essentials." I blushed.

"Ugh. Wal-mart?" Tony complained. "I haven't set foot in a Wal-mart since the nineties." JARVIS routed to a Wal-Mart 20 min away.

"What is this Wal-Mart?" Thor asked.

"Big market for basic Earth needs." Tony replied "Music, anyone? Do you like music?"

I didn't know who he was talking to, so I stayed quiet. Thor reached over to touch one of the radio buttons but Tony slapped his hand.

"I was talking to the lady, Thunderbolt." He said. All the men turned to me. My eyes went wide.

"Might as well address a rabbit in torchlight." Loki said.

"Um, sorry. Music is fine." I squeaked.

"I just wanted to hear what kind of music you liked." Tony asked mildly. "No need to get anxious."

"I have heard much Midgardian music, though I care not for 'rap'." Thor said. "Do you care for 'rap'.?" He asked me.

"No, no. I like old rock-n-roll I guess. Some country too." When we were on the run, Ty and I always played AC/DC and Fleetwood Mac. "Could you play some Fleetwood Mac?" I asked. JARVIS immediately switched the radio to the opening notes of their Rumors album. I'd had it on vinyl when I still lived with my mom. She couldn't stand the sound of music in the house, but was rarely home long enough to notice me playing it.

"This is... Enjoyable." Thor said, looking out the window at the Jersey tunnel. Loki nodded. The car lapsed back into silence with only Stevie singing to keep us company.

We pulled into the Wal Mart supercenter, and Tony glowered at the sign.

"Okay, forty minutes, in and then out. Someone keeps Tandy in sight at all times lest the throes of capitalism get her." Tony said. I flushed and went to open my door, but Thor had already jogged around to open it for me.

"Milady." He said mildly. I stuttered thanking him and scuttled away from the car, feeling more and more awkward. This day was just getting weirder and weirder.

Tony became cart master once again, but immediately broke away, claiming he needed to raid the snack section. Loki warily followed him, leaving me with Thor. The Asgardian grabbed another cart and gestured for me to lead the way. I took a deep breath, then moved towards the ladies section.

On the way, I couldn't stop myself from petting a couple thick sweaters on display near the underwear display. They were so soft and comfy.

"You should get one. The rooms get drafty at night." Thor said mildly. I picked up a dark blue sweater and brought it to my cheek, feeling the soft yarn. I put it in the basket, feeling happy.

"You should get a jacket too." Thor pointed at a display of winter coats. "Mortals need protection from the elements."

"Are you saying that you don't?" I asked.

"I am quite warm, I assure you." Thor chuckled. I put a plain black coat in the cart, then I looked over at the underwear section.

"May I have some privacy? I need to pick out... well..." I flushed. Thor followed my gaze and his color matched my own.

"I will not be far away." He said before moving his cart off to the men's section. I scampered to the bras, hastily picking out something plain and cheap, following it up with a package of panties that would suffice. I nearly tripped over an abandoned hand basket in one of the aisles and decided to use it for procuring a few more personal things. I began to walk to the pharmaceutical section, noticing Thor wander along after me. I passed Tony taking a picture with some fans in the vegetable aisle, but no sign of Loki. I couldn't imagine what he could want from Wal-Mart, the idea was almost absurd...

In the pharmacy, I picked up the essentials: hygiene products, basic medicines, soap, hair stuff, toothbrush. That would be plenty. The idea of using conditioner again got me excited. When I returned to the front I noticed Loki holding a couple books and Tony munching on a bag of baby carrots. Thor had a bag already, but I couldn't tell what he bought.

The checkout process went much the same as at Old Navy. Loki used a wad of crumpled cash to pay for his books, then moved towards the exit with Thor. Tony lazily let the clerk scan his carrots and chewed noisily as my purchases were rung up. He flipped the cashier the same black AmEx card and then looped the two plastic bags around his arm. I followed, playing with my hands guiltily. I wasn't used to having people do things for me.

"You look pale." Loki said as he held the Bentley door open for me. "Perhaps you require some of the painkillers you purchased."

"I-I'm fine, just tired." I said. "I'd like to get back and freshen up, I think." My wrist was starting to twinge a little, but I wanted some food in my stomach before I tried painkillers.

"I have one more errand to take you on. This is at the request of Director Fury himself."

"Oh." Was all I could reply. My stomach was flopping around. The Bentley went back across the Jersey tunnel, then pulled up in front of a row of downtown stores. This one was unmarked, but Tony seemed to know it well because he jumped out and strode up to the door, rapping on it with his knuckles. I struggled out as best as I could, moving too quickly for either Thor or Loki to handle my door this time. They fell in behind me and the Bentley pulled away.

"What is this place?" I asked Tony as the door swung inwards.

"You'll see. It's practically magic." he replied.

* * *

A half hour later, I was liable to start believing in magic. Staring back at me from a three-panel mirror was a girl I didn't think I'd ever met before.

The store had turned out to be an underground tailor who specialized in evening wear. Three blonde assistants had me gussied up in a sequined gown before I could even say anything about it.

"Why does Director Fury want me to have an evening gown?" I asked, staring at myself. The assistants had tried their best with my hair, opting to just twist the snarled mess up on my head with a couple diamond combs. I hadn't looked like this since my debut ball at fourteen. The dress was navy blue sequins with a plunge neckline and trailing skirt. It was beautiful.

"Upcoming assignment." Tony replied. "Something for you and Romanov to handle."

"Oh." Was all I could say.

"Women have conquered worlds in the right evening gown." Loki said mildly, not even taking his nose out of his book. I pressed my hands against my legs to stop the shaking, then accepted the help down from the dressing pedestal. The assistants ushered me into the dressing room, where I changed back into my old clothes. I mentally kicked myself for not bringing something new to change into.

As if echoing my thoughts, Thor knocked on the door.

"Tandy, your new clothes. Tony thought you would be more comfortable. We'll be in the car." He slid a bag underneath the door and I thanked him, peeling off my old clothes as quickly as I could. They could be incinerated for all I cared.

As soon as I changed, I exited the store, with the bag of old and new clothes with me. The Bentley was on the curb out front. I fumbled with the door handle for only a second before I got it and slid inside.

"Back to base, I should think." Tony told JARVIS. I felt a feeling of relief wash over me. I was exhausted and my stomach ached uncomfortably.

It was a short few minutes to the cleverly disguised tunnel that led to the base under the Hudson. Within minutes we were back in the garage where we started. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. As I got out, my knees wobbled and I swayed against the car door. Oh, lord...

"Easy there, Tiger." Tony said, hopping out and bracing me with a steady hand. "What's wrong."

"Um, just a long day." I replied, focusing on the Bentley's shiny paint. "And I think it's been a while since I've eaten."

"You look terrible." Loki supplied, coming around the car with his nose still glued to his book.

"Go back to your room and grab a nap, someone will bring you some food. You've had a hell of a first day on the job." Tony said. Thor took my elbow and my bags and steered me to the exit. I was barely back in my room for a minute before I collapsed on the bed, asleep within a second.


	3. Chapter 4

_The dream started the same way it always did. She was standing in darkness, with only the light radiating from her body to light her way. Thunder rolled in the distance... Or maybe they were explosions. She was completely alone._

 _It would go on like that for a while, and after some time of walking alone in the dark, she would come to her childhood home blossoming out of the inky blackness. She knew it was deserted, but she still went inside. Anxiety pooled in her stomach in anticipation of what she knew she'd find._

 _She walked through the simple sitting room, up the stairs, down the long hallway past her parent's rooms... past her room and the bathroom... to the nursery._

 _Her hand settled on the knob, and it slowly turned. She looked at the destruction on the nursery floor, and then the screaming began._

"Tandy!" I was being shaken roughly. Two large hands were holding her by the shoulders. Thor was sitting on my bunk, good eye fixed on my face. He looked worried. I looked around the room, which looked like a fire had been set to it. The towels on the counter were smoking as if they'd just been extinguished, and the blankets beneath me were little more than ash. I couldn't believe I'd caused so much damage.

"You had a nightmare." Thor said. "It can't harm you now." He didn't release his grounding grip on my shoulders, watching as I began to come back from the dream and become more aware.

"The sun is going down." He said as he noticed the tears glimmering in my eyes. I nodded and pushed them away.

"What in all of Asgard happened here?" Loki's voice came from the doorway. He was holding a tray from the commissary.

"Loki, not now." Thor rumbled.

"Bad dream." I said, scrubbing at my face with my palms.

Loki looked hesitant, then he stepped over the threshold and handed the tray of food to Thor, who nodded and put it down on my lap. I reached out for some grapes, chewing slowly.

"Director Fury is working on bringing in a specialist to help you with your powers." Thor said. "You'll be back to normal soon."

"Normal?" I looked up at him. I don't think I'd ever been normal.

"What I think my brother means is that you'll be able to control your powers and proceed with training." Loki said smoothly, covering up Thor's error. I continued chewing.

The two Asgardians watched me eat, Loki migrating to the slightly singed office chair near the door.

"Why am I getting special treatment?" I finally asked.

"I remember when I was drafted into the Avengers, there wasn't an option to have someone help you, guide you to being a superhero..." Thor began.

"Brother, you're so dense, I doubt a mentor could have done anything to help." Loki interjected. Thor threw the water mug I'd just emptied at him, Loki caught it one handed and began turning it over in his pale hands.

"Keep in mind what side you served at that point." Thor replied. I couldn't tell if that was still a point of contention for the brothers. It sounded like there was something unresolved there.

"Teammates stick together." Thor said, patting her shoulder. "Let's get you out of here so that maintenance can make the necessary repairs. Then you can rest easier tonight."

"What time is it?" I said, standing up and brushing the charred remains of my blanket off me.

"1800 hours. You slept a long time."

I looked around the room. My shopping bags has survived the heat. I grabbed a shirt and pants, then nodded at the others. The maintenance crew was walking up right as we exited my charred room. Thor nodded at them and steered me down the hall, presumably to his room.

Thor's quarters were surprisingly homey. There were tapestries on the walls and a large TV dominated the desk top.

"You like watching movies?" I asked him.

"I enjoy keeping up with the Kardashians." Thor said wolfishly. Loki followed us in and threw himself into a basket chair in the corner before conjuring a book out of thin air and beginning to turn the pages.

"Loki has made himself comfortable in my rooms, though why does, I can't follow. He has his own apartment." Thor growled.

"I, too, enjoy keeping up with the Kardashians." Loki replied nonchalantly.

I couldn't hide my smile as I went to Thor's bathroom to change. My new clothes were clammy from sweating and it felt nice to change into another shirt for once. I washed my face and ran my fingers through my hair to erase the signs of sleep. My ribs creaked as I reached up, still sore from that morning, but healing quickly as usual. I unwrapped the splint on my hand, pleased to see the signs of breakage were erased. I could move my wrist just as well as before.

The loss of the brace was the first thing Thor noticed when I emerged from the bathroom.

"I heal quickly." I offered as means of explanation. I held up my arm, demonstrating movement with my wrist. "It's good as new."

I noticed Loki had left. Thor followed my gaze with his good eye.

"He went to go get some more food. He thought you might be hungry still."

My stomach burned at the thought of more food. I was starving.

"I'll have to thank him when he returns." I replied.

Thor threw himself down on his bunk, fishing a remote out of the covers and turning on the large TV. I hadn't watched television in so long, it was nice to let my brain go on autopilot as the opening sequence of some Disney show rolled. I sat in Thor's vacant office chair, swiveling around as I watched TV.

"Thor?" I asked, something nagging at my mind. He looked over at me.

"I... have a lot of questions about this whole Avengers thing. But I don't know who to ask." I said, flushing a little.

"You can start with me, Tandy. What do you need to know?"

I cleared my throat. "I'm not sure you know the answers."

Thor sat up. "Try me."

"Well... Why me? Why am I here with the Avengers? I mean, _THE_ Avengers. Why aren't I in with some new recruits?" I asked.

Thor chuckled. "I guess you are right. I'm not the person to ask that. But I would think it's because your power could be a game-changer in this war. The magnitude of your powers, if controlled, could help us win."

"I overheard Tony and Director Fury in the hospital..." I found myself saying. "They would use me like a remote-controlled grenade."

Thor frowned.

"Tandy, using anyone that way is monstrous. I would never let the metal man lead a decision like that in the field. None of us would. Your powers are more than that."

We sat in silence again until the door whooshed open. Loki appeared, this time with two trays. He set one down in front of me with more bread and grapes, gave Thor a pop-tart off his tray, and settled back in his chair to pick at the rest of the fruit assembled on his plate. For a while the only sounds were us chewing and the tv.

I had almost finished eating when a klaxon went off in the building. Thor and Loki jumped up immediately, heading for the door.

"What's going on?" I asked, following.

"Fury's called Avengers assemble." Thor said over his shoulder. "It means suit up and get ready to be deployed."

"What do I do?" I had to jog to keep up with the long-legged men.

"Come with us for now, maybe Fury will send you." Thor replied.

We ran to the locker room, where Loki and Thor disappeared into the men's side. I went into the women's side, uncertain. I had no clue if I was supposed to change clothes or not. I didn't see anything that looked laid out for me, so I continued on through. The locker rooms dumped out into a main briefing room. I sat and waited, feeling awkward.

A moment later, Thor clattered in, adjusting his chest plate as he did. He nodded and sat down next to me on the bench. A second later, Loki swept in, followed by Captain America, who had swapped bandages for his iconic suit. My heart beat a little faster with all the energy in the room.

Director Fury turned in the doorway, closely followed by Agent Coulson.

"All right, people. Standard Sentinel eradication. X-men found a live one in South America. You get in, destroy it, get out." The assembled men nodded like they'd done it before. They were up and filing out the door before I could really connect the dots. I wasn't sure what a sentinel was, but I was fairly sure I wouldn't be riding along. I stayed put.

"Agent Coulson, nice to meet you." The shorter man said. I instantly liked the sound of his voice. He extended a hand for me to shake and I did. "Director Fury says we have a lot of work to do."

I laughed in spite of myself, feeling my anxiety ease a little. "I have a lot of questions..."

"Come with me to the training and mapping room, we'll see if I can't get some of those answered.

I followed Agent Coulson out the door and in the opposite direction the Avengers had left by. We went through yet another maze of hallways until we reached yet another door that looked like every other one in SHIELD HQ. Coulson scanned his retina at the door panel and the door whooshed open.

Inside the training and mapping room were rows of huge computer terminals. Coulson directed me to one and sat me in the chair.

"Fire away." He said, gesturing to the huge glass touchscreen.

"Do I just ask it my questions?" The technology was overwhelming.

"Stark designed it like his JARVIS software. It'll connect to to all sources to get your questions answered." Coulson sounded like a kid at Christmas.

"But..." I swiveled to him. "What if my questions are ones that I need answered by a real person?"

Coulson sighed, taking a seat. He fixed me in what I assumed was a bit of a fatherly gaze.

"You're wondering "why you?" why we chose you out of all the superheroes out there." He said gently. I nodded.

"Because we saw what losing your friend did to you. With nowhere else to go, we thought that you needed us just as much as we needed you."

For the first time since I'd been picked up by SHIELD, a tear or two tracked its way down my cheek. Coulson took my hand and patted it reassuringly, letting me cry it out.

"You're right. You're right." I finally got myself together enough to say. "I just don't know how to help. My powers are so unpredictable."

"That's where I come in. And I have someone to help me." Coulson said. "Let's save the questions for another day, we'll go down to the simulator." I followed him out of the room and down the hall. It was a short flight of stairs, then we were walking down a familiar hallway near the training arena. I scrubbed at my cheeks and hurried to keep up with Agent Coulson.

The simulator was a huge metal room. I assumed it did what the title suggested, simulating combat situations for training purposes. The room looked less damageable than the training arena.

I noticed another person was already occupying the room. A bald man in a wheelchair.

"May I introduce Professor Xavier, he runs a school for mutants in upstate New York. Professor, this is-"

 _"Hello Tandy."_ A soft voice said in my head. _"I'm here to help you."_

"I loaned him the use of the Avengers for a mission in return for helping you balance your powers out." Coulson said, looking between us.

"I have had the honor of helping many a gifted student with the same problems." The Professor said out loud, in the same voice I'd heard in my head. He was a telepath then. I was honored.

"Let us start with what you _can_ control." Professor Xavier said, gesturing me to the center of the room. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and willed the light into my hands. I looked down. They were glowing faintly, not as bright as when I was stressed.

"Good. Now let's see if you can let it get brighter." The Professor's voice was soothing. I didn't feel as shaky as when Thor and The Captain had tried to test my powers. My hands got brighter, heating the space around me.

"Now, I want you to see if you can project that light out and away from you. Like throwing a ball." Professor continued. I looked at him warily. I'd never tried that before. I closed my eyes, raised my right hand, and imagined the light arcing away from me. I felt a surge of heat and opened my eyes, nearly yelping in surprise.

A ray of white light was shooting out of my outstretched palm, carving into the (thankfully fireproof) wall in front of me like a laser.

"Now try and toss it, like a ball!" The professor shouted. I lobbed my arm like I was pitching a baseball, and to my delight the white light condensed into a hot ball and arced through the air, shattering in a shower of sparks against the wall. It was _hot._ I turned to the professor, grinning.

"Do it again." He said with a smile.

* * *

By the time I had shot beams out of both of my hands and tossed light balls in separate directions a dozen times, I was beginning to feel a little winded. But the control over my powers gave me confidence.

"Good." The Professor said after I did it again. "Now we'll try something else." Agent Coulson offered me a bottle of water, which I drank eagerly.

"I want you to let the light travel up your body, and I want to see if you can project it, the same way you did with your hands." I stopped drinking to eye the Professor warily.

"Don't worry." He said. "We'll watch from the observation room this time." He turned and wheeled away, Coulson scuttling after him. I looked at the empty bottle in my hand, then heated my fingers with white light, watching the plastic melt and burn away. It was satisfying.

"Okay, when you're ready, Tandy." The Professor's voice came from the intercom. I steeled myself and closed my eyes.

As before, I started with my fingers, then heated my hands. I imagined the light travelling up my arms and throughout my body. I felt the heat and knew it was working. I kept tight control on the feeling.

"Good, Tandy. When you're ready, push it out and let it go." The Professor said. I took a few stabilizing breaths, and then did as he said.

At first, it seemed to be fine. I could feel the white light pulsing around my body. I gave an experimental push, feeling the field grow a little. I pushed again, and it moved a bit further. I chanced opening my eyes.

A sphere of white light circled me, a few feet all around. It was like a shield.

"Good. Good." Came The Professor's voice. "You're doing fine."

I pushed again, watching the sphere flex and grow even bigger.

"Now push, and let it go." The Professor said. I envisioned a small-scale explosion in my mind, one that would defend me but not knock me to pieces like the last one I'd caused. I took a deep breath and _pushed._

All at once, the power slipped out of my control. The explosion that happened was much, much larger than I'd anticipated. I was thrown to the ground, momentarily unconscious. Smoke drifted around the room.

"That was... Incredible." When I came to, The Professor was wheeling himself toward me. I groaned, trying to peel myself off the floor. Coulson took my arm and helped me up. I felt sick to my stomach.

"That's it, nice and easy." Coulson steadied me on my feet. I felt like I'd been hit by a train.

"Too much too quickly, I think." The Professor said, sizing me up and down. "But it is good to test your limits. I think with some practice, the ability to create small-scale pyrotechnics will be yours to do at will."

"Wow." Was all I could say.

"Let's get you to medical," Coulson said, still supporting me pretty heavily. "just to check." I didn't protest, just let him help me limp to the door. I let my head loll as we hiked the short way to the medical facilities.

"What in the HELL happened!" A familiar voice boomed as we entered the med bay. Thor and the others were already back.

"She's a little concussed from training, she'll be all right." Coulson said. I cracked my eyes open to see Thor shouldering orderlies off him and limping over to me. He had blood on his face and chest.

"Tandy?" He asked. He was pushed back on the bed by the orderlies, and another orderly took me from Coulson, laying me down on a vacant bed.

"Thor..." I rasped. "Are you hurt badly?"

"He's just got a couple scratches." The Captain said from his own bed. "He's pissy that the X-men took down the Sentinel, not us."

"I, for one, would like to interject that I took the most fire during our escapade." Loki's very irritated voice intruded on my consciousness. I let my eyes drift shut and listened to The Avengers bitch at each other and the orderlies trying to shout over them. Before long, I'd lapsed back into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 5

I startled awake sometime later. The medical wing was completely dark, indicating it was nighttime. My sense of time was completely disoriented.

I swung my legs out of bed, desperate to find some water and if I could go back to my private room. I could hear other machines and breathing apparatuses going not far from me, I wanted to go somewhere else.

It was pitch black. If I was going to find my way out of here, I needed to find a source of light. I looked down at the outline of my hand in the darkness. It would be risky, but I could do it. I would allow myself to make a very small light.

As I watched, a soft white light pooled in the palm of my hand, illuminating the room. I found the doorway easily, and let myself out into the dimmed hallway.

Now came the real test.

I closed my eyes, and let the warmth of my light spread out around my body. If anyone could see me, I would have looked like a ghost, but it made me feel braver to have the light pulsing through me. I began to think really hard about my room. What way had we taken the last time I'd been here?

Something happened, and I found myself falling face-first onto the floor, feeling like I'd just been hit by a car. I looked up. I was in my room.

"What?!" I squeaked. I had teleported. I had fucking teleported. How in the-what the shit- I had to do it again.

I picked myself up, already falling into the correct mind set. The white light slithered over my body until I was in a complete bubble again. I thought about the training arena, picturing it the way I'd seen it before the accident.

The same nauseating drop in my stomach happened, and I cracked open an eye. I was standing in the middle of the arena. I wasn't off-balance like the time before.

"Holy shit!" I yelped. I had real powers!

The next time, it was easier. I didn't have to let the full glow up happen before I appeared back in my room. By the time I'd teleported from my room to the arena twice more, I was ecstatic! I had to try somwhere new, some place I-

Before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of Thor's room. He was awake and holding a sword over his head.

"Lights on." He growled.

"I-I'm sorry!" I squeaked. He lowered the sword, blinking his good eye.

"Tandy. What are you doing here?" He asked. He pulled the covers back and swung his legs out of bed. I noticed he was shirtless.

"I-I'm sorry..." I repeated. "I was testing my new powers and I got carried away."

"New powers?" Thor asked. His brow furrowed in a way that was... distracting.

"Mind if I try something?" I asked. He didn't move. I reached out and grabbed his upper arm, then called up the white light.

"Tandy, what-" Thor was cut off mid-sentence as we appeared in the Training Arena. He leaned over and dry-heaved.

"What in the name of Odin's-" I took his arm and pulled us back to his room. This time Thor really did throw up, wobbling over to the sink and losing the contents of his stomach.

"That is extremely interesting." He wiped his mouth. "And surprisingly nauseating."

"That's not all I can do-" I grabbed Thor's arm and took him back to the training area. He fell on his knees, gagging from the sudden movement.

"You... have to stop doing that." He groaned. I ignored him and called the white light into my palms, twirling the balls on my palms and sending them soaring around the room. Then I collected it all, expanding the energy in the way I'd practiced that day.

"Watch out." I said to Thor, and then I let the energy escape. Thor was knocked flat, but seemingly unharmed otherwise.

"Tandy... Does the Director know about this?" Thor asked, getting to his feet. He looked concerned.

"I mean, he knows I have energy powers. The teleporting thing is new as of ten minutes ago." I said. Something in his expression made my stomach do uncomfortable twists.

"Let's get some rest, and then see the Fury and Coulson in the morning." Thor said. "And let's take the stairs. You should still be in the medbay."

He turned away from me, and I felt disappointment and shame fill my stomach. I guess I'd gotten ahead of myself in my eager-to-please excitement. I didn't know what it all meant.

Thor dropped me off at the medbay and shuffled away to his own room, either deep in thought or already half asleep. It took me a while to calm down, anxiety worming around my stomach.

* * *

When I awoke, I had no idea what time it was. I thought I was completely alone, but then I noticed Loki asleep in a chair next to the bed. He'd changed from his green robes he'd worn into the fight to the same simple black civilian clothes he'd worn when we went out.

I sat up and spied a glass of water on the bedside. I drank it eagerly, immediately wanting more. And food. I was starving.

Loki stirred as I was putting my shoes and socks on. He fixed me in his dark gaze.

"You look well." He said. His voice was slightly hoarse. I wondered how long he'd been there. I also wondered if Thor had told him about my discovery last night. It took one look into Loki's wary eyes to know the answer.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"After lunch." Loki replied. He stood and stretched, catlike.

"Could you help me find my way back to my quarters?" I asked, finishing tying my shoes. "I think I need a shower to reorient myself."

Loki led the way to the door, I walked stiffly to him and out into the hall. He led me through the maze-I didn't know when I'd get the hang of it-and before I knew it, we were outside my door. I pushed what I thought was the correct button, and the door whooshed open to reveal a completely repaired room. In the dark the night before, I hadn't noticed the work was already done.

"Wow." I said. It looked brand new. The cleaning crews knew how to do their job.

I was reaching down to pick up a pair of jeans from the Wal-Mart bags when I heard The Professor's voice in my head again.

 _"When you are ready, I should like to continue your training. I've been updated on your improvement."_

I straightened up. If I was going right back to training, there was no point in changing clothes or showering.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, still hovering in the doorway.

"The Professor just told me that he wants to continue my training in the simulator." I replied. "Er, in my head."

"You should tend to your needs before continuing..." Loki said hesitantly. I couldn't tell if he was hesitant because I was hearing things or because I was becoming sidetracked from my original mission.

"Can you take me to the commissary on the way?" I asked him. He nodded and turned on his heel. I quickly followed, the door to my quarters whooshing shut behind us.

* * *

The commissary was a huge room outfitted with long white benches and tables. The food was served from replicators along the walls. You punched a few buttons and were dispensed whatever you wanted, so long as proper health was observed. There was hardly anyone inside this late after lunch, so Loki and I were able to find trays and seats quickly. I got chicken and potatoes, Loki got more fruit.

"Do you eat meat?" I asked him. "I've only seen you eat fruit."

"I have a... peculiar palate." Loki said, twiddling a grape between long white fingers.

"On this planet, that's called being a picky eater." I replied. I gauged him for his reaction. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth even though he tried his best to hide it. Watching Loki, I could surmise that he was, at base, rather shy. It was pleasant to be around, not overwhelming or anxiety-inducing.

I mowed through my food faster than I thought, and went back to replicate myself some snacks for after the training session. If I could avoid blowing out my energy levels and stay stable, I would probably recover quicker and avoid landing back in the medbay. I replicated an extra apple and presented it to Loki as he returned from taking our trays to the dish disposal. He looked at me warily, like he'd never seen a present before.

"It's for you." I prompted. "For after training." Loki took the apple out of my hand, fixing me with his intense dark eyes.

"Thank you." A genuine smile played around his mouth again, almost making it there but quickly disappearing under the mask of control he put on his face. We walked to the training simulator in silence. It was pleasant, I guess. Silence usually made me nervous. I pressed my hands into my legs to keep them from beginning to shake. Everything would be fine. I would tell The Professor and Fury that I didn't mean to jump around the complex like something out of the Twilight Zone. I'd apologize, and continue with my more normal powers.

"See you later?" I asked, putting my hand on the door panel for a scan.

"I should think so." Loki gave me a little half-bow and strode off down the corridor. The door whooshed open, and I entered the metal room. The Professor was already waiting. I swallowed thickly and went to him.

* * *

"Again. Do it again." I lifted my hands and let the light blaze from my palms, creating balls of light. I threw them against the wall opposite me and they exploded in a shower of hot white sparks.

After the 2-dozenth time repeating the exercise, I was starting to break a sweat. The Professor kept pushing me even after I said I was tired so that I could grow my powers and continue to keep control even when exhausted.

"Now we'll try something new. But we'll keep it small this time." The Professor's eyes twinkled. "Make a ball, and then try to flatten it. Use it like a shield."

"Okay..." I planted my feet and then repeated the now-familiar action of creating a ball of hot white light. Then I envisioned something like the Captain's shield, flattening to cover about a circular foot of the front of my body.

"Good!" The Professor cried. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was wielding a shield of light! I looked down at my other hand, allowing a ball to grow on that palm too. I pictured a sword, something I could easily wield. It blossomed into existence under my gaze.

"Fantastic!" The Professor said. "Give it a wave!" I did, giving the sword an experimental slash. It was like wielding air, making up for the fact that I really had no idea how to handle myself around a sword. I let the energy weapons go, watching satisfactorily as they sparked out of existence.

"Your powers..." The Professor was beside himself. "If you can build up the stamina to properly wield them, you could be quite limitless on a battlefield."

 _"Not just a remote-controlled bomb now."_ I thought to myself. I couldn't wait to show off my talents to the others. Or at least tell them about it.

"Now, between us. Your newfound talent..." The Professor said. I froze.

"Um, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." My knees began to shake slightly.

"I want you to do it again. Would you do me the honor of showing me what you can do?" He asked. I stared at him wide-eyed. Then I forced a deep breath and a gulp of saliva. I concentrated on the feeling I'd had the night before, where the energy stole up my legs and created a body-tight bubble. Then I teleported about 15 feet away from the professor and back.

"Extraordinary, I wonder-"

I didn't get to hear what the Professor wondered. The training room door whooshed open, revealing Coulson and Fury.

"Looks like you've been working hard." Fury said, striding towards us. "How's the practical application going?"

"I wouldn't say that she's ready for a field test." Professor X said. "But she is improving quickly."

Coulson produced a bottle of water from some hidden pocket and handed to me. I drank greedily, feeling the results of training creep in. I was ready for a nap.

"Go dress down. We need a word with The Professor." Fury said dismissively. I looked down at myself, realized I didn't have anything to dress down in, looked up at him and realized it didn't matter because I was, in fact, being dismissed. I scurried from the room and sucked on the water bottle as I wandered the halls back to my room. My stomach twisted because I had a good feeling I knew what they were discussing.

* * *

To my surprise, I found the path back to my room surprisingly clear. I picked clean clothes up and decided to go on an adventure to the locker rooms to shower instead of staying in. Then I could grab a snack on my way back. I had no idea what time it was, but it didn't seem like there were many people out and around on my last trek, so it probably was nighttime.

While I walked, I let my brain mull over everything that happened. This whole experience had been like a crash-course in how to be a mediocre superhero. I could throw balls of light from my hands, but I had absolutely no idea what else was going on or what I was supposed to do. I had been in rooms with the _real_ Avengers, but I was nowhere near to their kind of level. I wasn't ready to go saving people yet. I didn't even have an outfit. I was wearing wal-mart clothes that _th_ _e_ Tony Stark had bought for me like it was nothing. I mean, it was nothing to him. He could buy every Wal-Mart in the country if he wanted to.

All of this was pretty damn confusing. I didn't like accepting charity, I didn't like special attention, and I didn't like-

"This is the men's room." A familiar voice said. Thor was standing under the shower spray, watching me in amusement, his nudity quite apparent. Two other familiar heads popped up from nearby shower stalls.

I couldn't speak. Or breathe. I'd walked into the men's locker room instead of the women's. I stumbled back, trying to get out of there as quickly as I could.

"Tandy, I'm fucking with you. The water is out in the men's room."

"W-what?" I squeaked.

"Water's out over in the little boy's room. We'll be done in a minute." Steve said over the shower spray. Loki was trying hard not to chuckle. Thor stood in his naked glory, hands on his hips, knowing exactly the reason I was stuttering like a defunct typewriter.

I made a noise partway between a cat being stepped on and a door squeak and fled the tile locker room, not stopping until I found myself safely back in my room.

Once I calmed down, I felt a familiar annoyance creep up on me. Men were so... gross. Especially celebrity men. Especially cocky superheroes.

My cheeks warmed once again, remembering what I'd seen in the showers. It had been a minute since I'd seen a good looking man. _All_ of one.

But that wasn't right. I was not here to be distracted by Thor and Loki... I was here to train to be an Avenger. And no matter if they were allowing themselves to be distractions, I needed to prioritize training.

A long-ago memory crept to the front of my mind. Ty and I were in a Brooklyn alleyway, and I was watching him do downward dog on top of a piece of cardboard.

 _"What the hell are you doing?"_

 _"Getting myself in line. It's important before a big rumble." He lowered his hips to the ground, exhaling slowly._

 _"We are supposed to be finding something to eat, and you're pretending to be a big-shot yogi?" I asked._

 _"Don't get mad at me if your chi is off."_

 _I glared at him, then watched him flow through the series again. His muscles rippled in the early morning light and he was breaking a sweat._

 _"What the hell."_

 _I found a cardboard flap of my own and began to clumsily follow him. I fell in the mud a couple times, but finally got the rhythm._

 _"See? Not so bad." Ty reached out a hand to pull me off my makeshift yoga mat. "It's these little things that separate us from the others."_

 _I nodded, my unwashed hair falling in my face. I could remember doing yoga with my mom's trainer, when she wanted me to lose a few pounds for some charity event she'd already picked out the dress for._

 _"No shame." Ty said, following my train of thought. He nudged my chin. "Only working harder."_

I pushed the memories away and began getting undressed to use the shower in my room. The memory left a bitter taste in my mouth.

* * *

After a shower, I figured it was time to get the shit together. I did some pushups to pump me up, then decided to go on a run that would work two-fold: I would discover more about where I was, I would get some training in, and I would find out what was going on in the outside world. I double-knotted my shoes for good measure, then took off.

I really didn't get very far before I was sidetracked (Once again) by a large chunk of Asgardian God.


End file.
